Nesquehoning man faces drug charges from incident

A Nesquehoning man was lodged in Carbon County Prison yesterday following arraignment on drug charges.

Paul Nicholas Niedzialek, West Center Street, was arraigned in the office of District Judge Casimir Kosciolek of Lansford.

The charges stem from an incident on March 11 in Nesquehoning.

He was charged with criminal conspiracy, which is a felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, both misdemeanors.

The controlled substance allegedly was heroin.

The affidavit states that on March 11, at about 1:16 p.m., officer Timothy Wuttke was dispatched to assist ambulance personnel at a West Catawissa Street residence for an overdose.

The victim's mother allegedly led police and ambulance personnel to the victim, who was "a male, lying on a love seat, wet, unresponsive, and barely breathing."

The mother said the son was a recovering heroin user and had been clean for several months.

Paramedics "noticed a fresh track mark on his right arm," Wuttke says in the affidavit.

Upon questioning, it was indicated that the victim was carried from the third floor of the residence to the first floor love seat.

The affidavit says the paramedics were told the victim got wet when "water was thrown on him in an attempt to bring him out of his current condition."

The victim was then given medication to counteract the heroin and came out of his overdose state, it is stated in the court document.

A search of the residence found identification belonging to Niedzialek, who told police he was staying in the room for several days.

When Wuttke and Chief of Police Sean Smith interviewed the victim in the hospital, they were told that he had been having pain from a previous injury so "he decided to self medicate and shot 'H.'" referring to the heroin.

The affidavit indicates other individuals may be involved in the incident and the investigation is continuing.